Steam-superheater for locomotive and other boilers.



Patented Sept. 1, 1914.

J. G. ROBINSON.

STEAM SUPEBHEATBR PoR LoooMo'rIvB AND OTHER BoILBRs.

` APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5, 1914. 1 ,109,304.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OEETOE.

JOI-IN GEORGE ROBINSON, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

STEAM-SUPERHEATER FOR LOCOMOTIVE AND OTHER BOILERS.

Original application filed March 25, 1912, Serial No. 685,857. Divided and this application filed June 5,

Specification of Letters Patent.

1914. Serial No. 843,200.

To all whom 'it 1n ay concern Be it known that I, JOHN GEORGE ROBIN- soN, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, (whose postofiice address is Boothdale, Fairfield, Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England,) have invented a certain new and useful Improved Steam-Superheater for Locomotive and other Boilers; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in steam superheaters for locomotive and likeire tube boilers, of the kind in which the superbe-iter elements or pipes extend into fire tubes or lines of the boiler and have their steam inlet and delivery ends bent and connected to a header orsteam collector located above or otherwise entirely out of alinement with the outlet ends of the said fire tubes or iiues.

The present invention consists principally in an improved and Vnovel construction of header or steam collector, which is preferably a casting, the characteristic features of the header according to this invention being as follows: The header has within it a number of steam chambers or compartments, alternate chambers being respectively for saturated and superheated steam, the said chambers being` all arranged transversely of the greatest length of the header, and all on the same level or plane so that the bottoms of all of these chambers are in the same horizontal plane and thus form one continuous Hush wall or tube plate in or to which the bent inlet and delivery ends of the superheater pipes are secured; ports or channels in the header connect the several saturated steam chambers and other ports or channels in the header connected the several superheated steam chambers` and all of the said transversely arranged saturated and superheatcd steam chambers in the header are open 'at one and the same side at which side the said openings of the steam chambers are closed by a detachable cover plate or plates, the form and arrangement of the chambers and the open sides thereof being such that, when the detachable cover plate is removed free access is given to both saturated and superheated steam chambers for the purpose of inserting suitable tools into the steam chambers for securing the inlet and delivery ends of the superheate'r pipes in the aforesaid liush tube plate or wall of the header.

The header according to this invention offers the following important practical advantages not heretofore obtainable in multiple lire tube superheaters of the type to which this invention relates: The bent steam inlet and delivery ends of the superheater elements or pipes can be easily and quickly secured directly in the wall or tube plate of the header by expanding these ends of the pipes into holes in the said tube plate by means of an ordinary tube expander and this while the header remains in its fixed position in the smoke box of the locomotive, thus providing the simplest and most efficient steam tight jointing of the superheater pipes with the header. Further, the several steam chambers in the header being open at the same side `greatly facilitates the production of sound header castings, and also allows free access to the interior of the header for the detection and repair of casting flaws, and also for the insertion of suitable tools for driving out or disconnecting the inlet and delivery ends of the superheater pipes from the header, these being all advantages of considerable importance.

The above-mentioned characteristic features and advantages of the superheater header according to the present invention are the same as inthe superheater header described and shown in the specification and drawings filed with my application for patent Serial No. 685857, led March 25th, 1912, of which the present application is a division.

The present invention consists in an improved construction of header such that by a minimum of alteration in the pattern and casting required, resulting in a minimum addition to size and weight of a header suitable for a relativ-ely small number of superheater pipes or elements (for instance 18 elements), a header can be readily cony structed which will be suitable for a relatively large number of superheater pipes or elements. for instance 24' elements, the passage in the header, connecting the several saturated steam chambers therein, being for this purpose, extended beyond the ends of the header andto the front thereof so as to form a small saturated steam chamber Vat each end of the header. Further the construction of the header is such that the passage or passages connecting the several transversely arranged superheated Vsteam chambers is or are arranged within the upper part of the header the said passage or passages extending across the top of the several transversely arranged saturated steam chambers in the header.

In the accompanying drawing which illustrates the invention, Figures 1 and 2 are respectively an elevation and plan, both partly in section, of a superheater header or steam collector according to this invention. Fig. 3 is a vertical cross section of the header shown in Figs. 1 and 2 taken on the lines O-P of said figures and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Likereference numbers indicate corresponding parts in the several gures of the drawing.

59, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6` 7 and 69 (Figs. 1 and 2) are the transversely arranged steam chambers or compartments in the header or steam collector, these chambers being formed by dividing the interior of the header by means of partitions or walls as clearly shown in the drawings. The chambers 59, 2, 4, 6 and 69 are saturated steam chambers, and the chambers 1. 3, 5 and 7 are superheated steam chambers.

8 is a tubular boss at the rear of and communicating with the saturated4 steam chamber 4, 9 being a flange for connecting the pipe conveying the saturated steam from the steam space of the boiler to the header; 10, 11 are flanges for connecting to the header, at compartments 1 and 7, the usual steam pipes for conveying the superlieated steam from the header to the valve chest-s of the engine cylinders. 14 being screwthreaded studs or flowels iixedly mounted in the metal of the header and 15 nuts cooperating with said studs or dowels by which studs and nuts said flanges 10, 11 are secured in position.

Compartments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are formed open at the front and compartments 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are adapted to be closed by a cover plate 16 removably secured or held in position by nuts 17 screwed on to threaded studs or dowels 18 xedly mounted in metal at the front of the header body or casting. The front faces or edges of the various Walls of the header with which said plate or cover 16 contacts are suitably thickened out or flanged (as clearly shown in the drawings) to provide etlicient jointing faces or surfaces. The faces ofthe metal at the front of the header, with which the cover 16 and anges 10, 11 Contact, are machined true and smooth. As shown in the rated steam chambers in the header and the ends 21 delivering superheated steam into the several superheated steam chambers in the header.

22 are lugs which may be provided at the ends of the header and by which it may be secured to suitable brackets in the smoke box, 23 indicates a portion of the smoke box wall or shell, and 24 are strengthening webs of metal that may be provided if thought'desirable at suitable places in the header. The ends 20, 21 of the superheating pipes or elements are expanded directly into holes drilled or otherwise provided in the bottom wall or iiush tube plate of the header. The tube plate 25 forms the bottom or lower wall of all the transversely arl ranged steam chambers in the header.

The several saturated steam chambers of the header are connected to one another by a port or channel 26, in the rear portion of the header. As shown this port or channel 26, is arranged in or at the back of the box or casting forming the header and passes behind the superheated steam chambers 1, 3, 5 and 7 so as to .place thel saturated steam chambers 2 and 6 in communication with chamber 4 and therefore with one another. The. superheated steam compartments l, 3, 5 and 7 are connected with one another by means of ports or channels 30 in the upper part of the header above the saturated steam chambers 2. 4 and 6.

As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings the hereinbefore mentioned passage 26 in the rear of the header is extended beyond the saturated steam chambers 1 and 7 (i. e. the said passage 26 is extended beyond the normal end walls of a header suitable for a relatively small number of superheater elements, for instance 18 elements), the said passage 26 being also extended to the front of the header so as to form the small end saturated steam chambers 59 and 69 respectively at opposite ends of the header, these chambers 59, 69 being also arranged transversely of the header. The small end satura-ted steam pockets or chambers 59, 69 (Figs. 1 and 2) are not, in the form of header shown, provided with removable front covers, but are closed at the front. by walls formed integrally with the side walls of the said chambers, and the upper walls of the said chambers are provided with tapped holes adapted to be. closed by screwed plugs 32. These plug holes are arranged immediately above the ends 20 of the outside or end rows of superheater elements and are of such a size or diameter that the roller cage and rollers of a suitable tube expander (for instance a Dudgeon eX- pander) can be passed through into posi tion in the .tube end. The holes in the lower wall or tube plate of these pocket-s or chambers 59, 69 may be, and preferably are, drilled slightly farther' apart, as shown, than the holes in the lower Wall or tube plate at the other compartments, the holes for the plugs 32 being spaced accordingly, whereby an increased amount of solid metal is left between the plug holes and undue weakening of the upper Walls of the chambers 59and 69 thereby avoided. Further, the' metal of the said upper WallsA of these compartments 59 and 69, may be, and preferably is, thickened in a suitable manner, for instance, as indicated at 33 in the drawing. If desired, for facilitating, the insertion of the mandrel of the tube expander, a portion of the smoke box Wall Q3 above the pockets 59` 69 may be made removable in any suitable manner and such a removable portion is indicated at 34 in the portion of the smoke box shown at the right hand of Fig. 1.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Iietters Patent is l. In a fire tube steam superheater of the kind set forth, a header comprising, in combination, a plurality of saturated steam chambers and a plurality of superheated steam chambers arranged side by side Within and transversely of the header the said chambers extending to and beingopen at the front of the header. a channel arranged within the header at the rear of and connecting all the saturated steam chambers the said channel gradually decreasing in cross sectional area from the middle to the ends of the header, channels in a horizontal plane Within the header and above the saturated steam chambers the said channels connecting the superheated steam chambers in the top thereof, removable covering means for closing the open sides of the steam chambers, and superheater pipes Whose steam inlet and delivery ends are bent at right angles and connected to the bottom of the header so as to communicate respectively with the saturated and superheated steam chambers.

2. In a fire tube superheater of the kind set forth, a header having in combipation a plurality of saturated steam chambers and a plurality of superheated steam chambers arranged side by side Within and transversely of lthe header the said chambers eX- tending to and being open at the front of the header, a channel in the header at the rear of and connecting all the saturated steam chambers the said channel being of greatly reduced cross section at the ends of the header and extending to the front of the header so as to form a small saturated steam chamber at each end of the header, a passage or passages in the top portion of the header above the saturated steam chambers and connecting the several superheated steam chambers, removable covering means for closing the open sides of the steam chambers, and a plurality of superheater pipes each having a saturated steam inlet and a superheated steam delivery7 end bent at right angles and connected to the bottom of the header and communicating respectively With adjacent saturated and superheated steam chambers.

3. In a tire tube steam superheater of the kind set forth, a header comprising, in combination, a plurality of saturated steam chambers and a plurality of superheated steam chambers arranged side by side within and transversely of the header the said chambers extending to and being open at the front of the header. a channel arranged within the header at the rear of and connecting all the saturated steam chambers the said channel gradually decreasing in cross sectional area from the middle to the ends of the header, channels in a horizontal plane within the header and above the saturated steam chambers the said channels connecting the super-heated steam chambers at the top thereof, removable covering means for closing the open sides of the steam chambers, a saturated steam chamber at each end of the header and of considerably less height and Width than the other chambers the said small saturated steam chambers extending to and being closed by an integral wall at the front of the header, the end Walls of the header being constituted mainly by the outer Walls of the superheated steam chambers adjacent to the said small saturated steam chambers, superheater pipes Whose steam inlet and outlet ends are bent at right angles and connected to the bottom of the header so as to communicate respectively With the satu'ated and superheated steam chambers, openings in the top of the said small saturated steam chambers and removable means for closing the said openings in a steam tight manner.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature, in presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN GEORGE ROBINSON. Witnesses:

W. H. LEWnRs, W. H. LINsoN. 

